Hifiman Edition XS

[Robbo99999]

I also listed the Topping in low gain. Actually, that's where I started off to compare. I only used high gain once I figured there wasn't much headroom left.

As for using -dBFS and % Windows slider, yeah, I can't read it any other way

(No, you didn't list your G6 in High Gain, which was one of the points I was making.)

 

[Robbo99999]

You can't compare power/volume levels like this, by how much there "feels" to be left because of the position of a knob or the number.

Yeah, it's a bit of a silly approach! The simplest thing to do is to look at the spec sheets for the products and compare them, combined with looking at Amir's reviews to see which should offer the most power at any given ohm headphone rating. So hard information that solderdude posted for example:

Hifiman Edition XS

I think, having just read @solderdude review, it should be around 4kHz. Btw, It's probably hard for me to judge an headphone from those charts, but reading it almost made me feel like the EDXS is nothing special, and actually has more peaks and dips in the frequency response than a HD560s for...

www.audiosciencereview.com

To be honest it sounded like @JeroenNietDoen79 's Topping was faulty or his subjective comparisons are faulty. Should be enough to drive the headphone.

 

[JeroenNietDoen79]

(No, you didn't list your G6 in High Gain, which was one of the points I was making.)

Yes, I know that. I should've left the Topping DX3 Pro+ high gain out.

So I just set my G6 to high gain. Turned the volume down from 20 to 8.

 

[Robbo99999]

Yes, I know that. I should've left the Topping DX3 Pro+ high gain out.

So I just set my G6 to high gain. Turned the volume down from 20 to 8.

If I was you, I'd just keep it simple, keep using the G6 DAC/amp as it obviously has enough power, and it also measures very well in Amir's review - as long as you make sure you're running below -2dBFS, so make sure you're doing that all times - just keep the G6 as it has the gaming functions too, measures well, and has enough power for you....the rest of the conversations are moot really. (I use the G6 for music & gaming, and you can't fault it (albeit I have it connected to JDS Labs Atom Headphone Amp but for sure G6 amp would get my headphones loud enough), no improvement by using other DACS, not for my various headphones).

 

[JeroenNietDoen79]

Yeah, it's a bit of a silly approach! The simplest thing to do is to look at the spec sheets for the products and compare them, combined with looking at Amir's reviews to see which should offer the most power at any given ohm headphone rating. So hard information that solderdude posted for example:

Hifiman Edition XS

I think, having just read @solderdude review, it should be around 4kHz. Btw, It's probably hard for me to judge an headphone from those charts, but reading it almost made me feel like the EDXS is nothing special, and actually has more peaks and dips in the frequency response than a HD560s for...

www.audiosciencereview.com

To be honest it sounded like @JeroenNietDoen79 's Topping was faulty or his subjective comparisons are faulty. Should be enough to drive the headphone.

I'm not an audiophile. I just buy equipment for personal enjoyment. I wouldn't even know howto measure the actual difference. I can only see a db on the Topping or a percentage in Windows. Now what I can do is adjust volumes to a comfortable level. And I drew a conclusion from that.

Tjeez, I'm sorry guys I didn't bring a technical essay to state what I've experienced.

 

[Robbo99999]

I'm not an audiophile. I just buy equipment for personal enjoyment. I wouldn't even know howto measure the actual difference. I can only see a db on the Topping or a percentage in Windows. Now what I can do is adjust volumes to a comfortable level. And I drew a conclusion from that.

Tjeez, I'm sorry guys I didn't bring a technical essay to state what I've experienced.

Ultimately you don't have any problems. The Topping should have driven your headphones absolutely fine according to ASR measurements and the spec sheet of the product, so you may have had a faulty unit or your impressions & testing were uncontrolled & wrong, but either way you've sent that back - so you're left with your G6 that is performing fine for you and at High Gain has absolute bucket loads of overhead left according to yourself. The G6 measures well & it's a gaming DAC in addition which is useful because otherwise you wouldn't have bought a gaming DAC! (Just make sure you use the G6 DAC below -2dBFS to avoid clipping and then you can be happy!). You don't have any issues.

 

[JeroenNietDoen79]

Ultimately you don't have any problems. The Topping should have driven your headphones absolutely fine according to ASR measurements and the spec sheet of the product, so you may have had a faulty unit or your impressions & testing were uncontrolled & wrong, but either way you've sent that back - so you're left with your G6 that is performing fine for you and at High Gain has absolute bucket loads of overhead left according to yourself. The G6 measures well & it's a gaming DAC in addition which is useful because otherwise you wouldn't have bought a gaming DAC! (Just make sure you use the G6 DAC below -2dBFS to avoid clipping and then you can be happy!). You don't have any issues.

Actually, I bought it for a laptop setup for a PC38X to be able to use the microphone. Never installed the Creative software or anything. Now I have a full desktop again, I use a desk micprohone. The G6 for just €110,- is a bargain for what it delivers.

And it certainly doesn't need the high gain to power the Edition XS. Plenty of room on low gain to make your ears bleed. But yeah, the looks however...

 

[Robbo99999]

Actually, I bought it for a laptop setup for a PC38X to be able to use the microphone. Never installed the Creative software or anything. Now I have a full desktop again, I use a desk micprohone. The G6 for just €110,- is a bargain for what it delivers.

And it certainly doesn't need the high gain to power the Edition XS. Plenty of room on low gain to make your ears bleed. But yeah, the looks however...

You still don't have any problems, if you want an aesthetically better looking DAC/amp then trawl the many many good measuring DAC & DAC/amp options that Amir has reviewed here on ASR - you have zero problems.

 

[Phidel]

Ananda Nano? Hmm another “Nanometer” thin diaphragm? Hifiman’s crack pot marketing never ceases to amaze.

HiFiMAN's ANANDA NANO Open-Back Headphones Feature Nanometer Thin Diaphragm: High-End Munich 2023

The long-awaited ANANDA NANO update features trickle-down technology including a nanometer thick diaphragm based on the reference SUSVARA headphones. Are they better than the Edition XS? We're going to find out soon enough.

www.ecoustics.com

I have the new Ananda Nano (non EQed) and it sounds amazing comparing to my Sundara (EQed), the soundstage and sub-bass extension are really impresive. I think when target Harman EQ will be released they could be one of the best headphones under 1000€.

I'm VERY HAPPY with it!

 

[Blorg]

@Phidel you could try tweaking one of Oratory's existing Hifiman egg EQs, maybe the Arya Stealth (same magnets and diaphragm).

They are all very similar and what you need to do if you want Harman is very similar in each case, you want a bass shelf and to fill in the 1-3kHz dip. I have used other Oratory Hifiman egg targets before he came out with an EQ for a new one, they are all very very similar, it's just small tweaks with specific little peaks or the amount of the bass or 1-3khz fix.

Squiglink - IEM frequency response database by VSG

Compare hundreds of frequency response graphs between IEMs and earphones from manufacturers like Moondrop, Sony, 64 Audio, Fiio, and more.

vsg.squig.link

This second example, it's applying the Arya Stealth EQ to the Ananda Stealth and even without any tweaks you can see how close it is.

If you were comparing with the OG Ananda I suspect this one, it's going to have more linear bass extension and be similar to the Arya Stealth in that regard. So less of a bass shelf would be required. It's probably also going to be brighter, which would suggest more of a negative high shelf than the OG Ananda, but you could just leave that bit alone for now, the largest bits are going to be the bass shelf and the 1-3kHz fix.

 

[Phidel]

@Phidel you could try tweaking one of Oratory's existing Hifiman egg EQs, maybe the Arya Stealth (same magnets and diaphragm).

They are all very similar and what you need to do if you want Harman is very similar in each case, you want a bass shelf and to fill in the 1-3kHz dip. I have used other Oratory Hifiman egg targets before he came out with an EQ for a new one, they are all very very similar, it's just small tweaks with specific little peaks or the amount of the bass or 1-3khz fix.

View attachment 305693
View attachment 305695

Squiglink - IEM frequency response database by VSG

Compare hundreds of frequency response graphs between IEMs and earphones from manufacturers like Moondrop, Sony, 64 Audio, Fiio, and more.

vsg.squig.link

This second example, it's applying the Arya Stealth EQ to the Ananda Stealth and even without any tweaks you can see how close it is.

If you were comparing with the OG Ananda I suspect this one, it's going to have more linear bass extension and be similar to the Arya Stealth in that regard. So less of a bass shelf would be required. It's probably also going to be brighter, which would suggest more of a negative high shelf than the OG Ananda, but you could just leave that bit alone for now, the largest bits are going to be the bass shelf and the 1-3kHz fix.

Thanks for the help, I tried both EQ but they have too many bass for me. I lowed the 105Hz band from +4.7 to +2.5 in the second example and its more fine, it is how I'm using these headphones and I like how it sounds now, I will tweak a bit more, one question, if I want reduce an extrange metalic sound with some intruments like guitars, what bands I must to tweak?

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Do not pay too much credit to headphone measurement graphs. They are all pretty approximate. Furthermore, "Techpowerup" measurement gear setup is not an industry standard, nor it is calibrated. The general shape of the curve is good enough to the eye though, but to use that to come up with EQ settings is not wise.
I always advocate, to EQ by ear! After all, it is a personal thing. By all means, glance at the available curves to give you a heads-up, but don't go by them.

 

[Phidel]

I think these graphics can help a lot to improve the sound of the Nano, for example, after testing many curves, I set this earphone with Crinacle target after several tests and I love Ananda Nano more and more, if anyone has this earphone can try Crinacle target and tweak it a bit for personal taste, for me, it's the best headphone experience ever coming from Sundara and 560s.

 

[Blorg]

Do not pay too much credit to headphone measurement graphs. They are all pretty approximate. Furthermore, "Techpowerup" measurement gear setup is not an industry standard, nor it is calibrated. The general shape of the curve is good enough to the eye though, but to use that to come up with EQ settings is not wise.
I always advocate, to EQ by ear! After all, it is a personal thing. By all means, glance at the available curves to give you a heads-up, but don't go by them.

I'm not suggesting to use his graphs to EQ directly, I wouldn't be trying to EQ that 5kHz dip in particular which really looks like a measurement artefact. I'm suggesting that his comparative measurements suggest the Ananda Stealth is very close to the Arya Stealth and that may indicate that Oratory's EQ for the latter may be a good fit. (Or for that matter, the Edition XS EQ- as that is also very close).

It's worth noting that Oratory's EQ for the Arya Stealth, applied to VSG's measurements of the Nano, does match Harman pretty exactly all the way up to 4kHz. The Nano is using the stealth magnets from the Arya and now also the Nano diagphram from the Arya; I suspect it's extremely close in tonality.

VSG also has comparative graphs for other Hifiman egg headphones, all of which show remarkable similarity, and my personal experience with the four Hifiman egg headphones I have, is they are a lot more similar than different; I used Oratory's other EQs for the Arya Stealth and Edition XS before he came out with specific ones for those headphones, and honestly it wasn't much difference.

It's also totally valid to just EQ by ear, I usually prefer the Hifiman recession 1-3kHz so usually I just add a bass shelf skip that bit of Harman correction these days. But if he wants Harman, I think Oratory's Arya Stealth EQ, possibly tweaked in a few places regarding the specific peaks, is a good starting point.

@Phidel I don't think it's surprising you may want less bass, (1) the Ananda Nano is reported to have higher bass and (2) many people feel Harman is too much in the bass anyway for over-ear open backs.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

I'm not suggesting to use his graphs to EQ directly, I wouldn't be trying to EQ that 5kHz dip in particular which really looks like a measurement artefact. I'm suggesting that his comparative measurements suggest the Ananda Stealth is very close to the Arya Stealth and that may indicate that Oratory's EQ for the latter may be a good fit. (Or for that matter, the Edition XS EQ- as that is also very close).

It's worth noting that Oratory's EQ for the Arya Stealth, applied to VSG's measurements of the Nano, does match Harman pretty exactly all the way up to 4kHz. The Nano is using the stealth magnets from the Arya and now also the Nano diagphram from the Arya; I suspect it's extremely close in tonality.

VSG also has comparative graphs for other Hifiman egg headphones, all of which show remarkable similarity, and my personal experience with the four Hifiman egg headphones I have, is they are a lot more similar than different; I used Oratory's other EQs for the Arya Stealth and Edition XS before he came out with specific ones for those headphones, and honestly it wasn't much difference.

It's also totally valid to just EQ by ear, I usually prefer the Hifiman recession 1-3kHz so usually I just add a bass shelf skip that bit of Harman correction these days. But if he wants Harman, I think Oratory's Arya Stealth EQ, possibly tweaked in a few places regarding the specific peaks, is a good starting point.

@Phidel I don't think it's surprising you may want less bass, (1) the Ananda Nano is reported to have higher bass and (2) many people feel Harman is too much in the bass anyway for over-ear open backs.

Yes from EDXS up to HE2k all sound very similar, I had a good session with all of them. To my ears, the differences in tone were minimal.
What I was trying to say was, that using ANY measurement graph as bible for EQ is wrong. EQ is half personal, half scientific. There are no measurements gear that can measure a pair of headphones, in the same manner as they behave over your ears, my ears, Mr X ears!
The shape of the ear, face etc. all change the FR. Not to mention that our ears are not calibrated test gear! I can hear, and be sensitive to certain frequencies, that you might not.
By all means, use the graphs as a broad guideline, and derive your own personal EQ curve.
Oratory curve, my curve, Amir's curve are all fun ways to play with the sound, none are nowhere near accurate.
I personally, without having access to any curves, came up with a simple EQ, that lifted the 1-3 kHz dip.
I had to, because at the time ( Dec 21) the headphones had not reached anywhere but China mainland, so nobody had yet measured them.
It was surprising, that when the curves started to appear, my EQ was vindicated to some degree.

HIFIMAN Edition XS - Reviews

www.head-fi.org

 

[srkbear]

Coming in sort of shamefully late in the discussion. But I will say that the Edition XS was my first foray into planars—and after spending two weeks abroad listening to them exclusively, I finally came to my senses about the degree to which I was suckered into paying $4,400 for my now dust-gathering Utopias, which are soundstage-wise the equivalent between the Meyerson Symphony Hall and a snow globe, and have a steeper bass roll off than the Holmenkollbakken Ski Tower. When I returned home I gave them a whirl again briefly, and without irony or hyperbole set them aside in favor of the XS and never looked back.

Of course in terms of “critical listening” they don’t quite compare to the Utopia, and they’re nowhere near as fancy, so I’ve since added the HEKse and the new HEK Stealth to my collection—after an unfortunate diversion into owning, and staring at in bewilderment and trying to add a subwoofer to replace the bass they forgot and attempting to hook up a polonium power core to drive the Susvaras for three weeks, until I happily sent those dinosaurs back, delighted to have that misguided FOMO behind me forever.

I’ve also scooped up an Ananda Nano recently, and impulsively picked up a pair of Meze Elítes last year—which is a dazzling object indeed. But after listening to the HFMs for so long, when I put on the Elites it’s as if I’m 20 feet under water—maybe the HFM “signature” is a bit on the bright side, but for my 54 year-old ears they suit me just fine. I keep meaning to put the Elites up for sale because they make me compulsively use Q-Tips.

Anyway, in my humble opinion the Edition XS is the finest all-around headphone I’ve found for less than a grand—not less than $500 but a full 1K. Their headband is serviceable but very comfortable, they don’t swivel much but the pads envelop your ears so completely that head placement is a non-issue, they do a better job at Harman compliance than most of the “top tier” cans out there, and for a full spectrum of musical genres, they sound extraordinary. Compared to the Ananda Nanos, for $150 less you get quite a bit less brightness and fatigue (although the Nanos have really upped the ante in the Ananda bass department), and I can’t see the justification for “trading up” the Edition XS between these two.

I feel equally effusive about the HE1000 Stealth—I think that they’re the best all-around headphone on the market right now, especially given that they cost $1,399 for TOTL performance. How often do you get a deal paying full price in this hobby? I’d say never, except for HFM. Their decreasing prices are to me an honest reflection of their technological progress and production streamlining—and for that reason alone I think the brand should be championed on this site every bit as much as Topping or SMSL.

When it comes to SOTA audio that is as exceptional as it is affordable, China just can’t be beat these days. I felt like a poseur and a fraud pretending that I was enthralled with my snazzy Utopias; these days I am having a blast listening to my music with nothing weighing on my conscience at all.

 

[Andrez]

Hey everyone..

I just noticed that my 4-months old Hifiman EDXS have a weird rattling noise in my left ear at certain frequencies (around 1-1.5kHz), and it increases with volume of course. I tried plugging the R cable into the L ear and it was still there on the left. Some time ago I accidentally made a sudden movement and the left plug (I keep my PC on the right) got pulled a little harshly and it looks slightly more off than the other side if you look closely. I didn't notice any quality problem in audio, the only annoying thing was the left jack plug that felt almost like having two stages, the jack made two clicks while inserting it, with no difference in sound. But now that I noticed, I tried blowing in the port, rotating the jack, slightly pulling it, but I couldn't make the static noise go away. It's very noticeable using this test: https://headphonetestlab.co.uk/self-test, much less noticeable using a youtube frequency sweep. I don't notice it while listening to music or in normal use, but it bothers me that it's there.

Does anyone have any solution?
I don't think it's a driver problem
Or could have I damaged the port and should send it for repair?
Thanks..

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Hey everyone..

I just noticed that my 4-months old Hifiman EDXS have a weird rattling noise in my left ear at certain frequencies (around 1-1.5kHz), and it increases with volume of course. I tried plugging the R cable into the L ear and it was still there on the left. Some time ago I accidentally made a sudden movement and the left plug (I keep my PC on the right) got pulled a little harshly and it looks slightly more off than the other side if you look closely. I didn't notice any quality problem in audio, the only annoying thing was the left jack plug that felt almost like having two stages, the jack made two clicks while inserting it, with no difference in sound. But now that I noticed, I tried blowing in the port, rotating the jack, slightly pulling it, but I couldn't make the static noise go away. It's very noticeable using this test: https://headphonetestlab.co.uk/self-test, much less noticeable using a youtube frequency sweep. I don't notice it while listening to music or in normal use, but it bothers me that it's there.

Does anyone have any solution?
I don't think it's a driver problem
Or could have I damaged the port and should send it for repair?
Thanks..

Warranty. it is faulty.

 

[Andrez]

Warranty. it is faulty.

So you are saying it's a driver's problem? Don't you think that it could be something correlated to the tug I gave to it some time ago? I bought it new on ebay, but not from an official store, so I'm not sure I have any warranty from hifiman..

 

[Zibi]

It's almost impossible to make that kind of statement.

My opinion is that very few people would think XS to be worse of the two. And it's noticeably different. When I bought it I was in the store to pick up the Sundara but went home with XS after listening to it for a few minutes, no competition. Only thing is that main reason might have been the bigger, and for my head more comfortable, ear cups. The listening experience was much more relaxing and spacious.

The price difference is so small that I think XS is a safe bet.

(I myself went with LCD-X after a few weeks with XS, but that's only because I noticed I got tired of all the detail and treble)

Same here. I went to the store pretty sure that I would buy Sundara and left the store with EXS after short audition.